Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony 2017

Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony 2017

Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony is an annual festival for aficionado of the art of tea and all those who are interested in the art. It is a great occasion to experience the tea ceremony in a casual manner, or just to have a bowl of matcha, at excellent places with a traditional ambiance and aesthetics.

Nodate (Hama-rikyu Garden)

◆Hama-rikyu Garden and Edo-Tokyo Tatemono-en

Hama-rikyu, one of the two venues, is a sumptuous Japanese garden dating from the Edo Period. Located in the center of the city and close to Tokyo Bay, the landscaped garden has a pond of the sea water that flows in and out as the tide ebbs and flows.

The other venue, the Edo-Tokyo Open-Air Architectural Museum (called Edo-Tokyo Tatemono-en in Japanese), is located inside Koganei Park in a western suburb of Tokyo. Some of the historical buildings and houses on display there are said to have served as models for Hayao Miyazaki’s animated film “Spirited Away”. During the event, admission to the museum will be free of charge. One more reason to visit this unique place and experience the tradition!

Tea ceremony at the museum

◆Tea sessions and traditional performances

A variety of tea sessions will be conducted, from more formal ceremonies for the experienced, to easy ones for first-timers and foreign visitors: